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Hounds gunned down by Spitfires

WINDSOR – The Windsor Spitfires might be out of the playoff picture, but they continue to find a way to frustrate the Soo Greyhounds.

For the fifth time in six games this season, the Greyhounds lost to the Spitfires as Sault Ste. Marie watched an early two-goal lead slip away in a 7-4 loss to the Spitfires before 5,341 at the WFCU Centre Thursday.

“I don’t know what it is,” Greyhounds defenceman Ryan Sproul said. “There’s something about them and we just seem to have a hard time.”

Over the last six seasons, the Spitfires are 28-7-1-0 against the Greyhounds including 16-1-1 at home over the last six seasons.

“I don’t know about other years, but we made it easy for them,” Greyhounds head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Thursday’s performance. “It wasn’t something they did. We just needed a better effort from our guys. Every goal (Windsor) scored was off a Grade A chance.”

It was a quick start for the Greyhounds, who jumped to a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. Rookie Jared McCann tipped home a point shot and Brandon Alderson’s wrist shot from the slot handcuffed Windsor goalie Jaroslav Pavelka.

“Going down 2-0 isn’t what you want,” Spitfires overage forward Alex Aleardi said. “The older guys had to settle the team on the bench and remind everyone they’re fighting for a (playoff) spot and a roster spot next year.”

Kerby Rychel got the Spitfires on the board by redirecting a point shot past goalie Justin Nichols just as a Windsor power play expired. Aleardi then fed Brady Vail, who beat Nichols on a breakaway for just the second short-handed goal of the season for Windsor.

“We need to be better defensively, especially with the playoffs coming up,” Sproul said. “They just started to get under our skin and we didn’t fight back.”

Sproul notched his 20th of the season on a Sault Ste. Marie power play early in the second period, but it would be the last lead the Greyhounds held.

Windsor scoreed three times in just under four minutes to take the lead for good.

“They got a couple and we just got deflated,” Sproul said.

Rookie Josh Ho-Sang beat two Sault Ste. Marie defenders to get in alone on Nichols and tie the game. Ben Johnson got a fortunate hop in front and knocked home his own rebound. Remy Giftopoulos then swiped the puck from Nichols behind the net after Nichols fanned on a clearing pass. He circled the net to beat the goalie between the pads to make it 5-3 Windsor.

“We didn’t get many saves, but we didn’t give him a lot of support, either,” said Keefe, who pulled Nichols for Matt Murray after the fifth goal.

McCann answered just 20 seconds after Murray came in to get the Greyhounds to within 5-4 after 40 minutes.

“You score goals on the road, you should win,” Keefe said.

The Greyhounds held a commanding 42-29 advantage in shots, but Pavelka picked up his game and frustrated the Greyhounds down the stretch.

“Their goalie played really well,” Sproul said.

Pavelka improved his personal record against the Greyhounds to 7-1-1-0 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

“We could have had 12 goals with the chances we got. We had plenty of chances with some of our best shooters, but their goalie played well.”

Back from a four-game suspension, Nick Cousins was held to a single assist while being checked by Windsor’s Brady Vail. A late slashing call to Cousins also provided Windsor some breathing room.

Rychel scored his second of the game on a Windsor power play for his 11th goal in 15 career games against the Greyhounds. Vail got his third point of the game setting up Nick Ebert for an empty-net goal to seal things.

“This is just a game you have to move on from,” Sproul said.

The win pulled Spitfires to within six points of Saginaw for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Windsor has four games left and Saginaw six.

“I’ve been in this league a long time and I’ve seen crazier things happen,” said Aleardi, who had two assists. “You just can’t give up.”